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N0.302,102. Patented July 15,v 1884.

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; U NIT.ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENISON P. GHESEBRO AND "WILLIAM S. WHITMAN, OF ,NEWV 'YORK, N, Y.

FOLDlNG SCAFFOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lette ir s Patent No. 302,102, dated July 15, 1884.

Application filed March 21, 1884. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DENIsoN P. OHEsE- nno and WILLIAM S. WHITMAN, both of New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Scaffolds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature, in which- Figure 1 represents in perspective a section of a scaffold containing our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion thereof, enlarged. Fig. 3 represents a section of the scaffold when folded. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the application of our invention to fold ing ladders.

It is very desirable for the purposes of ease of transportation, and also for packing in small compass, to divide scaffolds into sections and connect these sections by hinges, so that they can be folded together, one section upon the other. Of course a hinge for this purpose must be peculiarly made, in order to resist the strain which comes upon it; and our invention relates especially to scaffolds made in sections or parts and hinged together, and to the peculiar hinge which we have herein described, and which is applicable not only to scaffolds, but also to ladders.

Referring to the drawings, A represents one section of a scaffold, and 13 another. 0 is the hinge for uniting the two sectionsAandB of the scaffold or staging. It comprises the arms 0 c, which are pivoted together in the same manner that ordinary hinges of that form are pivoted, and the metallic braces 0" 0". These braces or bracing-irons extend from the end of each section of the hinge diagonally upward upon the outside of the rails or side pieces, 0*, .of the scaffold or ladder to 'or very nearly to the end thereof, and are then bent inward to make the ends 0", and they also have preferably a backward extension, 0, which is fastened to the. under portion of the rails. The side portions or braces, 0 0 are fastened to the rails by. screws, bolts, or in any other desirable way, and the sections a are fastened to the under surface of the rail by bolts or screws used in fastening the hinge -in place. The end of each rail is armed or shod with this'form of iron, and it will be seen that the two irons and two sections of the hinge together form a truss that very greatly strengthens the hinge and the union between the two sections of the scaffold. Not only do the bracing-ironsform a truss," but they also protect the abutting ends of the rails, so that the wear or abrasion of the wood is prevented. It will be seen that this truss-hinge can be (see Figs. 4, 5,'and 6,) and when used therewith it will be desirable, when the ladder is extended, to fasten the two sections together by means of hooks d. It will also be observed that the side rails of the scaffolding are gradually tapered from the hinge to their opposite ends. We are aware of the scaffold and fire escape described in Patent No. 284,308, dated September 4, 1883; also of the used as well upon ladders as upon scaffolds,

ridge-trestle described in the Wilkins British Patent -No. 2,592, of 1859; but as n'either of these patents shows a simple folding scaffold without attachments adapted to be used in the ordinary manner in which scafnot show or describe a truss-hinge for con necting two sections of ascaffold, we consider that they do not embrace the spirit of our in- -vention.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A scaffold comprising sections A and B, a hinge, G, and truss-bars c 0 all substantially asand for the purposes described- 2. The combination, in a scaffold, of the sections A B, the metal ends 0 and the trussbars 0 0 all substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of a hinge for uniting the two sections A B and the two-part trussframe 0 0 adapted to be used with the hinge, as described, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

DENISON P. OHESEBRO. \VILLIAM S. WHITMAN.

WVitnesses:

MILLA'GE PATTERSON, A. E. DAVIDSON.

folds are commonly employed, and as they do I 

